TIRUPATI: The 894th Origin Day of the Pilgrim City of Tirupati was celebrated with pomp and gaiety on Saturday. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Bhumana Karunakara Reddy said, henceforth, the Srivari temple Trust will mark the occasion on par with the annual Brahmotsavams.
Elaborating on the significance of the day, Bhumana said the temple city was named as Govindarajapuram and the foundation stone was laid on February 24, 1130 by Sri Ramanujacharya. Pointing out that the priests recite the tale of Tirupati’s formation daily during the Mantrapushpam ritual held at the Govindaraja Swamy temple, the TTD chief said the oldest inscription on the Gopuram of the Govindaraja Swamy temple provides historical evidence of Tirupati’s origin.
“Vaishnavite saint Bhagawad Ramanujacharya had laid the foundation stone for the Govindaraja Swamy temple and installed the idol inside the sanctum sanctorum on the same day in 1130 AD. Sri Ramanujucharya lived for 120 years and he established the temple when he was 112 years old. It is reasonable to mark February 24 as the birthday of Tirupati,” he explained.
He added, “Before Tirupati’s establishment, only Tirumala to the north and Tirusukanoor (Tiruchanoor) to the south existed. To accommodate the priests who trekked up the Tirumala hills daily, Ramanujacharya laid the stone for the Govindaraja Swamy temple.”
“He created the Agraharam, marking the first step towards building the township. Tirupati was then developed equidistant from the two existing villages, forming the nucleus of the city.”
As part of the celebrations, Bhumana flagged off the Shobha Yatra from the Govindaraja Swamy temple. Hundreds of devotees chanted bhajans and a procession was organised along the four Mada streets encircling the Srivari temple.
Prayers were also offered at the statues of Sri Ramanuja inside the Govindaraja temple complex. Tirumala Pedda Jeeyar Swamy and Chinna Jeeyar Swamy were also present.
Further, Bhumana highlighted that Tirupati holds the distinction of being the only city in the world with a known foundation day. “Going forward, February 24 will be celebrated annually as Tirupati’s birthday as part of the TTD calendar,” he announced.
Speaking on the occasion, TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy said plans to beautify Tirupati are being formulated to enhance the spiritual experience of devotees visiting the Lord Venkateswara shrine. He asserted that the temple Trust is fully committed to supporting Tirupati’s development.